Bensenville Park District receives grant to restore historic barn

Using a $108,200 grant, the Bensenville Park District plans to restore a pre-Civil War storage barn and chicken coop at Fischer Farm.

BENSENVILLE – The Bensenville Park District has been awarded a $108,200 grant for a Fischer Farm facility restoration project.

The park district, in cooperation with the DuPage County Forest Preserve District, operates the farm at 16W680 Grand Ave. in Bensenville, according to a park district news release.

The grant, announced on June 14 by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, was among 47 other grants awarded to Illinois museums. The museums collectively received $20 million to improve their facilities and develop new exhibits, the release stated.

The Bensenville Park District plans to use the $108,200 grant to restore a pre-Civil War storage barn and chicken coop on the Fischer property, which is known to be one of the oldest remaining homesteads in DuPage County, according to the release.

The purpose of the restoration is to protect and preserve the site, which is a tangible link to the past and the foundation of the local community, the release stated.

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